KZN’s Community Safety MEC Willies Mchunu has moved to smooth tension between the residents and the Umbilo SAPS.
|||Community Safety MEC Willies Mchunu has sought to smooth relations between the Umbilo Community Policing Forum (CPF) and the Umbilo SAPS.
This comes after a 25-year-old resident Mthokozisi Ngcobo, was stabbed to death by three assailants while walking through Umbilo Park in March.
On March 28, CPF members and members of the Umbilo Action Group called for the suspension of the Umbilo SAPS management, citing “inefficiency of policing in the area”.
Community members said the park was a hot spot for criminals, with many residents being robbed while walking in the area.
Mchunu, however, rejected the demand for a suspension.
“I understand the concerns of the Umbilo community, and they will be taken up, but this demand is unrealistic,” he said at the time. “If matters are not reported to the police, we can’t blame the police for not doing anything.”
Last week, CPF members met Mchunu to discuss a way forward.
“The MEC provided an overview of the role that the CPF was expected to play, and its interaction with the SAPS,” said Umbilo CPF chairman, Wally Coombe.
“He has also appointed a team to receive and process complaints relating to SAPS members.”
Mchunu has arranged for the Department of Safety and Liaison to provide guidance and training to the Umbilo CPF as to its functions, duties and roles, as well as arranging workshops with the Umbilo SAPS.
“We hope that this will be a new beginning and that the community and the police will be able to go on to fight crime in the area together,” said Coombe. “With guidelines on how to run a CPF efficiently, we will know how far we can take matters, and this will make a huge difference.”
However, Umbilo Action Group’s Vanessa Burger said she was not holding her breath for any progress.
“The fact that the MEC said he doesn’t hold police responsible for accountability shows no commitment to our cause,” she said. “As citizens, we have the right to demand accountability.” - Daily News
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